


Crossfire pt 2

by xylazine



Series: Wing-0 [4]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Politics, Assassination Plot(s), Blood and Injury, Explosions, F/M, Gun Violence, Lime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:01:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29850204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylazine/pseuds/xylazine
Summary: AU - Relena Darlian is the spokesperson for the Peacecraft Foundation, an increasingly prominent group speak out against the wars for peace and unity. As tensions rise between her group and extremists, she finds herself an unlikely ally in a man she only knows as Heero.A serial for the Love Reflection Server March Madness Wing-0 event.
Relationships: Relena Peacecraft/Heero Yuy
Series: Wing-0 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2188329
Comments: 26
Kudos: 27
Collections: Love Reflection March Madness (2021)





	1. 9 - hurt/comfort

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written a multi-part story in so long I forgot I can just add chapters. I will be posting all further additions to this story under this part. First part can be found under "Crossfire pt 1."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something about Heero makes Relena forget everything else....

Months had passed since Relena had first encountered Heero. She wasn't sure how he'd disappeared from the house but it was almost as if he'd never been there. Every noise, every movement for those two weeks had set off her nerves that he had changed his mind and would fulfill his mission. Yet, she found herself unable to tell her security team about him. Perhaps it would come back to haunt her but something told her to keep it close to her heart. 

Some days, she almost forgot about him and others she kept coming back to those intense blue eyes. A universe of words lived in those depths but he'd only spoken a handful to her. She found herself wondering about the man who'd said he was sent to kill her. She was surely mad for thinking about him but couldn't help it. He intrigued her.

Still, she gave up hope of seeing him again. Their worlds were far too different for a casual encounter. She imagined that his was a job that stuck to the shadows. It was a wonder that she'd seen his face at all. 

Her work kept her busy, always filled with appointments and appearances for the Peacecraft Foundation. The last few weeks saw louder opposition to the foundation's statements. Each message of peace seemed to be met with backlash. Even when she tried to bridge the distance between viewpoints someone seemed to find something to object to. While finishing yet another speech, a flash of brown hair caught her attention. Surely it couldn't be. 

Relena was moving down the hall before she knew it. Calls from her security team went unheeded as she moved into the crowd. She saw flashes of familiar hair or the tip of a nose and hoped it was him. Before she knew it, she'd traveled further than expected. The crowd had thinned. She looked around the hallway, searching for any hint of him. She blew out a frustrated sigh. She'd lost sight of him.

She leaned against a door in frustration. She'd been so close. Well, she couldn't even be sure it had been him. Maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her. Still, it had been a nice diversion from the speeches she'd been giving. 

She was lost in her thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, she saw a familiar face coming towards her. She stared in disbelief, was it really him? 

"Heero?" 

He paused as he reached her, sparing her the briefest glance before checking over his shoulder. A smile lit her features. She started to say something but was quickly interrupted by a voice. 

"Don't move!" a voice thundered down the hall. 

Relena peered over his shoulder to see a security team coming towards them. She realized she was blocking his exit and now he was trapped. They drew their guns as they neared and she realized he'd never get out before they starting shooting. 

"Wait! Stop!" she cried as she jumped in front of him. 

Everything seemed to happen so fast. Voices shouting, a gun being shot, an unimaginable pain blooming in her arm. She fell into Heero, felt him catch her as she stumbled. 

"Stupid," he breathed as he guided her down. 

Her brain was still trying to catch up, figure out what all had transpired. There was still so much noise. She couldn't think with all the yelling. Her entire body seemed focused on the pain radiating from her shoulder that she wasn't aware of anything else. Time seemed to trickle past like grains of sand suspended in molasses. 

"Miss Dalian, can you hear me?" 

She looked at the face filling her vision, wondering why it didn't look as she expected. Instead of thick brown locks, a head of cropped brown hair greeted her. After blinking a few times, the countenance of one of her security leaders finally came into focus. "Yes, I can hear you, John." 

"You're going to be all right. You've been shot in the arm. It doesn't look like it hit bone but we're taking you to the hospital just to be certain."

She came to the realization that she was leaning against the door and that Heero was no where to be seen. Her heart dropped a little but that must have meant he'd escaped. It was a wonder how he just seemed to vanish. 

The rest of the day passed in a whirlwind of tests. Nothing vital had been injured, it'd been a clean shot. It would heal in time. For now, she was to keep it in a sling and try to minimize her use of the arm while it healed. She was allowed to return home to recover. 

It had been careless of her to chase after him. For once she hadn't thought of where her actions would lead. She'd never hear the end of it. She was always so careful in what she did so what was it about him that made her forget all of that? She'd sooner bring about world peace than understand it she wagered. 

She settled in to sleep, trying to find a position that was comfortable with her arm when she heard her curtains snap against a breeze. She struggled to sit up and found Heero to be standing at the foot of her bed. 

A million thoughts seemed to cross his face as she watched him. "Why'd you do it?" he asked. 

"Hello to you, too." she replied, a bit annoyed that he could come and go as he pleased. What she wouldn't give for a taste of that freedom. But also how was it that he could just waltz into her life whenever he pleased?

He crossed his arms at her reply, a frown tugging at his mouth. What she wouldn't give to see him smile. "That was stupid of you to do." 

"I couldn't very well let you be shot. It was my fault that you were still in the hallway." 

His brow drew together in confusion. He moved as if to come closer before standing against her vanity chair. "Why would you save me?" 

_When I was sent to kill you._ hung unspoken in the air. 

Relena couldn't put it into words herself. She should have let him be caught. She probably wasn't the first nor the last person he'd be tasked with killing. So what was it about him that made her lose all common sense? 

A knock at the door drew her attention. "Is everything okay, Miss Dalian?" 

"Just talking to myself, no need to worry," she replied. 

When she turned back towards him, she realized he'd already left and in his place a gift shop teddy bear now sat.


	2. #4 - That's my least vulnerable spot

Convalescing was Relena's least favorite thing to do. She wasn't good at being idle, at sitting back and relaxing. She allowed herself two weeks a year to recharge and refocus but after that her position as spokesperson was nonstop.

The bullet wound, while not serious, would still take time to recover from. Her arm was to be in a sling and allowed to rest before she worked on rebuilding her muscles and use. The first few days she'd been as good of a patient as she could manage, though some might nod to the pain medications assisting with that. 

Now that it had been two weeks, she was starting to get stir crazy. She had been excused from any appearances she'd been scheduled for. She did as much as she could from her home office but only having use of one arm limited what she could get done. Her correspondence was backing up faster than she could dictate replies and forget about putting together a speech. And every time she tried to use her arm for just a few minutes, the resulting pain was hardly worth it. 

She did what she could, delegated what she was able, and tried to push her limits a little further every day. Which was why she'd decided that she could attend an hour or two of tonight's Gala. If she tired early, she doubted anyone would speak too unkindly about her departure. 

It had been a challenge to dress for this evening. She eventually settled on a sleeveless gown that zippered up the back. Every time she bumped her arm pain radiated into her shoulder and down to her fingers. She grit her teeth. She could do this. She was a Darlian and stubbornness came with the name. Adopted or not, she'd been raised with the family trait. 

After what felt like an eternity, she made her way downstairs. A coat was settled over her shoulders and she swept outside to the waiting vehicle. She smiled a greeting to her driver as he opened the door. She stepped into the town car and settled in the best she could. Definitely no more than an hour would do it. 

As they were pulling into the road, a deafening roar proceeded a force that shook the car. Jameson hit the breaks and turned to make sure she was fine. When they determined nothing had happened with the car, they turned back towards the house. Smoke and fire billowed out of what was once her bedroom. Tranquil blue walls were exposed to the street, her bed frame split and her canopy in tatters. A layer of shock settled over her. From this distance, she didn't have any injuries from the blast. Instead all she felt was a numb haze and the thought that there were worse rooms they could have attacked. After all, she was just lamenting how tired she was of her bedroom.


	3. 15 - some days you just can't get rid of a bomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come to a head for Relena as political tensions reach a breaking point.
> 
> Roughish draft

Life as she knew it was changed after the explosion. The gun shot had been an unfortunate event and carelessness on her behalf but her residence being attacked was a whole different playing ball game. No longer would she be allowed to live a semblance of a normal life. 

Her security detail was tripled. She wasn't to stay on her own. Her home was compromised so she was relegated to various safe houses. In a way, she'd known this was coming. The growing whispers of unrest and tension were louder every day. What was nothing more than rumor solidified into threat. It hadn't been a matter of if but when. 

The constant activity gave her little time to reflect on everything that had happened. On one hand, she was grateful for the distraction. She didn't have to face the terror and anger and sadness screaming to be let out. On the other hand, she knew it wouldn't be like this forever. The piper would come for his due. 

There was a delicate balance between protecting her and pushing onward. She couldn't hide forever. That could be twisted as an admission of defeat. Everything that she'd worked so hard for would crumble like dust. She had the thought if it were so easy to shatter her message was it really worth continuing? Why stare death in the face for something so delicate? But maybe that was reason enough to press on. If she didn't bring her dreams to reality, who else would? 

She knew she was gaining traction if they were trying to silence her. Her security team was constantly working to stay ahead of the extremists. Every option had its flaws. And when one of the safe houses went up in flames, they had to face the facts that there was a traitor among them. 

The next attack came in the dead of night. She was woken up by shouting and her door being thrown open. She had been sleeping in her clothes waiting for this moment. A bag was shoved at her and she fought her arm into her sling. It was only a moment before she was hurried into the hall and towards a staircase that descended into darkness. 

The secutiry team leader went first. She took a breath to ready her courage and followed suit. A series of tunnels awaited under the house. They seemed a forgotten relic, barely kept usable. 

The team leader paused, listening to a message through his ear piece. She was ushered forward. "They've made it into the tunnels behind us. Go straight ahead and another team will be waiting for you. We'll make sure they don't make it to you." She was handed a flashlight and ushered forward as her team moved to hold their position. 

She glanced back at them before moving ahead. Shadows stretched long before her, the light bouncing off concrete walls. A figure stood ahead, blocking her path. Was this the other team? Or was someone else down here with her? She slowed her pace as she approached, trying to make out the face bathed in shadow. 

"Heero," she breathed, his name filling the space between them. 

He held his hand out to her and she took it without a second thought. He'd already had plenty of chances to end her life, she doubted he'd save her just to kill her later. He kept a grueling pace and she was lost in the maze of tunnels. She grit her teeth through the pain of each step jostling her arm. They didn't stop until the only noises they heard was their own heavy breathing. 

She rested it with her back against a wall to catch her breath, making a noise of surprise as he leaned over her. Dark blue eyes met her gaze, a host of emotions in those endless depths. What she wouldn't give to understand them.

"You'll be safe now."

She didn't know where they were or what would happen next but she believed him. A feeling she couldn't name had taken root the first time she'd seen him and only seemed to grow stronger each time she saw him.


	4. 1 - the princess and her protector

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heero guides Relena out of the tunnels to somewhere safer.

They'd emerged from the tunnels in the heart of downtown. The lights were blinding as they emerged from darkness, a cacophony of noises greeting them despite the hour. While being above ground again posed its own unique risks, it was easier to find a pocket of chaos to disappear into in case they were followed. He took her hand in his and led her through a series of alleyways before bringing them to a quiet apartment. 

It was quieter in here, the lights and noises dampened. Curtains let in a hazy glow, illuminating simple furniture. She stood to one side in a windowless hallway as Heero went ahead and made sure everything was secure. "It's okay to come in," he called from further in. 

She followed his voice, eventually finding herself in a living room. He gestured to a couch and she gratefully sunk into it. He was seated opposite her, carefully studying her. She didn't have it in herself to present a more composed facade. She wondered what he saw, what he thought of her, why he'd appeared in the tunnels. She knew nothing of him but a name and his declaration in the mountains what seemed a life time ago. She knew she should have been frightened of him but instead found herself intrigued. 

Neither of them said anything and she wondered if he was as much at a loss of what to say as she was. She didn't know where to start. She was a spokesperson trying to bring about peace. He had promised to kill her. Now she was running from someone trying to stop her and he had rescued her. 

The chaos of yet another attack finally caught up to her, exhaustion settling into her bones. She was tired and scared and sick of running away. She wanted to fight and scream and cry. But all she could do was sit quietly, letting her thoughts run away on her until she found herself nodding off. 

She felt him ease her into his arms, his hold on her sure and strong. He carried her to the bedroom, gently laying her on a serviceable mattress. He went to move away but she stayed him with a hand on his forearm. "Please. I don't want to be alone." 

A fleeting emotion crossed his brow and he turned his face from hers. She wondered what he was thinking, wondered if he wanted this as much as she did. After what seemed like an eternity, he nodded and sat at the edge of the bed. She trailed her hand down his arm to entwine their fingers together. She couldn't name whatever this was between them, wasn't sure any amount of words ever could. But she knew she felt safer with him near her, needed to be reassured by his presence. 

She rolled onto her right side, gently tugging his arm over her. After the briefest of moments she felt him press against her, molding perfectly to her. They didn't say anything further but the promise of tomorrow hung in the air. For the first time in weeks, she slept soundly.


	5. #7. I keep getting your mail

It had been one week since she'd found herself in his apartment. She had sent her team a message that she was fine but laying low for a bit. She felt a level of guilt that she didn't reach out to check on her security team or update them more on her safety but she wasn't sure if that was wise, either. If she was honest, a part of her didn't want to return to the chaos. She could hide from her troubles here, or pretend that they couldn't catch her within these walls. 

Heero remained an enigma. She knew little more than his name but she felt his presence take root in her very soul all the same. After he'd shared the ground rules of the place (she was never to leave, avoid doors and windows as much as she could, stay quiet), he hadn't said much else. He left on occasion sometimes stocking up on supplies, sometimes doing she could only guess at. 

She wished she could find a way to get him to open up but didn't have the emotional energy after dealing with everything else going on. So she let the silence be her companion and processed what emotions she could on her own. 

After the first night, Heero had tried to sleep elsewhere. He'd made sure she was safe and moved to leave. She'd asked him to stay again the second night. The third she'd tried to let him leave but awoke to a nightmare. After that, she didn't have to ask. He'd curl around her at night, quieting her if memories of the last few weeks tried to haunt her. 

He was always gone come morning, though. Often, he was in the kitchen nursing a black coffee on what he assured her was a very encrypted tablet. Sometimes he'd already have slipped out of the house, leaving her a note that he'd return soon. 

Today, he was stationed in the kitchen. She heard his fingers flying over the keys. She'd spent the morning in bed reading a book. He's managed to procure a stack for her. While they weren't the most engaging, it was something to do while they figured out what to do next. 

As she made her way down the short hall from the bedroom, an envelope slid under the door. Apprehension coiled in her stomach as she bent to grab it. It probably wasn't the smartest idea to pick it up without informing Heero but she also found it silly to get him just for a piece of paper. She slid the letter out, a chill racing down her spine. _"You can't run."_

How did they find her so fast? Her heart was racing as she went to find Heero. "Someone slipped this inside," she said as joined him in the kitchen and she handed it to him. 

He frowned as he took it. "You're supposed to be avoiding the doors and windows." 

"It's not always possible, you know." She did try her best but a small apartment like this didn't offer many options unless she wanted to spend her days in the bathtub. And while an indulgent afternoon was lovely, an entire day didn't sound very appealing. 

She watched his face as he read it, trying to figure out what was he was thinking. It hadn't taken him long to read it but there was an unnatural stillness to him as he had. She didn't know what came next but what she did know was her idyllic escapade had come to an end. 

"Should I leave?" 

"No- I mean yes, you should. But this isn't to you." He crumpled the paper in his fist. "This note is for me."


	6. 11 - Animal Instinct

She kept her gaze on him, watching as a change came over him. There was a tense line to him; it was as if he were a cord stretched taut. He reminded her of a cornered animal. She didn't dare speak lest she startled him. 

He tossed aside the note and moved through the small area like a tornado, gathering things together. She felt helpless as she stood in the kitchen. She didn't know what he needed or how to help. After several minutes two bags were packed and ready. He assisted her into her sling before he handed her the bag she'd arrived with and shouldered the other for himself. 

"I've ensured there are no tracking devices in your items. There's an unlisted phone in there that you are only to use in an emergency. We need to leave. Now. If you are separated from me, get to the embassy. Hopefully they'll be able to protect you."

A million questions begged to be asked but she didn't know where to start. There wasn't time enough to learn what she wanted. She secured her pack and nodded at him. He gave her a once over before he checked her pack and sling. He stood in front of her for one impossibly long moment before turning for the door. 

The ghost of his heat lingered where he'd touched her. She found herself wondering what it'd feel like to be under him, around him, skin to skin. She wondered if they'd make it through to the other side of this for her to find out, if he wanted her in the same way.

After he checked the door and their immediate surroundings he reached for her hand. She wrapped her fingers in strong, calloused ones. She gave him her trust and her life- and maybe her heart- as they left the apartment into the light of day.


	7. #8. The car broke down in the middle of our road trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very loose interpretation of the prompt for today. Heero and Relena find themselves on the run.

Relena did her best to keep up as Heero dragged her down side walks, though shops, and every which way. She'd thought she had a decent sense of direction but she could count herself well and truly turned around. Time melted away as they weaved a path through town. 

He'd occasionally push her into an alcove, shielding her body with his. A thrill ran through her and she wondered how much adrenaline was fueling her response. He never lost focus of keeping her safe, his hand always finding hers. 

They ran all day, keeping as low profile as they could. At some point along the way, he'd gained a baseball cap and different jacket and she'd hidden her hair in a bun with brown hair spray. It wasn't fool proof but it helped them blend into the crowds better. 

"There's another safe house on the out skirts of town," he'd told her during one of their rests, "If we can get there, we can buy ourselves some time until we come up with a better plan than staying on the move." 

She nodded in agreement. After they'd stopped for dinner, they picked their way through the streets. As he glanced around a fence, a silver token fell at his feet. He cursed. 

He grabbed her hand and broke into a run. She stumbled after him, trying to keep pace. Bullets hit the pavement around them, sparks flashing with each shot. They were close to their destination, the thick glass dome of the settlement catching the moonlight as they crested a hill. Heero kept their movement as unpredictable as he could, but the shots were well aimed. 

Heero suddenly fell forward and Relena bit her lip to keep herself from calling out. She did her best to help him back up and offer support. He limped alongside her as they made it to the abandoned residential area. They carefully pick their way through the broken fence that gated the community, Heero grunting with effort as he pulled his wounded leg through broken concrete and rebar. 

Once upon a time, this had been a middle class development. It had the bones of a basic suburban area with wide, straight streets and cookie cutter homes. Several decades ago, an errant missile had rocked its core. Now, the skeletons of homes hosted all sorts of people escaping the mainstream life. 

"To the left," Heero instructed, his voice strained. 

Relena tried not to look at the growing bloom of red from his leg. They didn't have time to attend to it now but she feared what would happen if they didn't stop soon. She was further out than she'd ever been in this area. Without him as her guide, the path to safety was near impossible to find. 

She supported him as fast as she could, grateful for the cover of darkness and rubble. They came across a crumbled structure, its roof the only proof it had been a house. Heero pressed his hand against a hidden security panel. It whirred in recognition, a steel door opened from the ground in front of them. He limped ahead of her, pausing at the base of the stairs from her. She hurried down, holding her breath as she watched the stars disappear behind thick, metal doors. 

She let out of breath of relief just as she saw Heero stumble again. This time she cried out as she caught him. She helped him lean against a pillar. "There's a first aid kit in my bag. Grab the wound spray." 

She wasted no time rifling through his pack. She pulled out the kit and opened it, grabbing the supplies she knew she'd need. She turned to see Heero cutting away the leg of his pants. She tossed a bottle of antiseptic to him and took some dressing and the spray. She looked at his face as she neared, knowing the compound would hurt nearly as bad as the wound itself. It helped numb the pain and regenerate tissue but would first feel like his nerve endings were on fire. It was for use in emergent situations only and Relena was grateful her arm hadn't necessitated it. 

He had a thick strip of cloth clenched in his teeth and nodded tersely as she approached his side. She shook the bottle and depressed the nozzle. She could hear his yells around the fabric as white foam filled the wound. She wrapped his leg in gauze as quickly as she could once the bottle was depleted. 

When she finished, she saw his head was tilted back, his eyes closed in pain. She sat next to him, entwining her right hand with his left. She leaned her shoulder into his, offering him all the comfort she could manage. He squeezed her fingers in return. "Thank you." 

She let her head rest against him, exhaustion replacing adrenaline. "Will we be safe here?" 

"For the night. We'll have to move again tomorrow." 

She nodded. It'd be enough for now. He could heal some and they could.... She wasn't sure what they'd do. They were both running from very dangerous people. How long could they stay ahead of their enemies?


	8. 6 - And they were roommates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Close quarters bring Heero and Relena closer. 
> 
> Mild lime.

Relena had gotten used to the silence in the days she'd spent with Heero. There was a meaningfulness in the quiet, conversations had in actions rather than words. Tonight, she found she didn't want that. Tonight, she craved the sound of his voice and yearned to bear her soul to him. Perhaps it was the last vestigages of adrenaline and the scare of death, or maybe there was another reason entirely. 

She lightly tapped her fingers against his hand. He shifted against her shoulder. She wondered if he was sleeping and she should let him rest. "If you want to say something, go ahead." 

She looked at him in surprise. His eyes were still closed but his head was tilted towards hers. She considered where to start. "When I was younger, I never thought I'd get involved with politics. My father's job kept him so busy he hardly had time for me. I vowed never to let a job consume me. 

"And then I found out I was adopted. My birth mother was a Peacecraft. The more I looked into the family, the more I felt a sense of kinship. I reached out to the foundation and the rest is history," she finished with a shrug. "It made for a good PR piece, the prodigal daughter returned to helm a new chapter in the Peacecraft story." 

There was a long moment of silence once she finished and she wondered if he'd fallen asleep. 

"The organization I'm a part of, they weren't always so extreme. They, too, wanted peace. But the Alliance preached peace while crushing any whispers of dissent. In turn, the voices they so desperately wanted to silence, found new ways to rebel." 

He didn't continue to elaborate and Relena was surprised he'd shared as much as he did. It was odd to think their organizations wanted the same thing but had such different visions to achieve it. 

"So we're both working towards a better tomorrow." 

He grunted a noncommittal reply. 

"Do you think you can stand?" 

"Probably." 

"Is there somewhere more comfortable to sit than the floor?" 

"There's a bed in the next room." 

She stood and tugged at their still joined hands. "Think you can make it?" 

He groaned as stiff muscles and aching limbs rekindled his pain. The recovery gel had finally dulled the sharpest edges of his pain but he still needed rest. She offered her good shoulder as a crutch and helped ease him into the other room. 

The room was as sparsely appointed as the apartment. The bed was functional with a plain table next to it. He sat on the edge of it while she went to retrieve their packs. 

When she returned, he was sitting on one side of the bed. "I hope you don't mind we'll have to share." 

She shook her head. "Not at all. I couldn't very well expect you to take the floor in your condition." 

A smile played on the very corner of his mouth. "You make me sound weak." 

"You just walked several blocks with a bullet wound. No one would dare call you weak." 

She went to sit beside him, finding that quiet comfort again. If they were different people, would they still have met? She couldn't help but wonder at what could have been. 

"The compound is well guarded. You should rest while we can. We'll have to leave tomorrow." 

She nodded. A tomorrow likely rife with more challenges. She turned to look at him and found her studying her. She held his gaze, seeing something deep and heated in his eyes. She held her breath, feeling the pull of some primordial spell. He dipped his head and she tilted hers up. Their lips brushed, electricity running through every nerve. She was ablaze at his touch, wanting, craving, so much more. 

His fingers tangled in her hair at the back of her head, pulling her closer. She steadied herself against his shoulder. The kiss deepened, need driving them forward. His tongue slid against hers and she moaned her approval. He said her name like a prayer, his hand tracing a line from her neck to her hips. She hissed against his mouth as his thumb grazed the curve of her breast. He rewarded her noise with a sweep across a pebbled nipple and she arced into his touch, breaking their kiss. 

He dropped soft kisses down the side of her neck, gently biting the junction just above her collar bone. Every inch of her begged for the feel of him against her. He shifted to lift her shirt.

He groaned in pain at the same time she gasped in discomfort. A laughed bubbled out of her at the absurdity of their situation. He rested his forehead against hers. "Under different circumstances..." The fire in his eyes matched the desire burning in her veins. He dropped his mouth to hers again, hope and longing twined in the softness of the kiss. They didn't know what tomorrow held but tonight they had each other.


	9. 14 - for you, I'd steal the stars

Relena had drifted off to sleep before she knew it, adrenaline finally wearing off. She awoke to dim light. And warmth. She realized their fingers were still loosely entwined and couldn't help smiling. She lifted her gaze to see Heero's sleeping face and fondness bloomed in her chest. He must have been exhausted after yesterday. She longed to brush the hair from his face but didn't want to wake him. 

She stayed in that sleepy bliss, enjoying watching him rest. He always looked so serious when he was awake, a frown ever at the ready. She understood why, but it was nice to see a semblance of peace on his troubled face. She felt his fingers twitch moments before he startled awake, almost sending them both to the floor. 

She placed a hand of his chest, trying to calm him. After a moment, his pupils returned to normal. "Relena," he murmured. 

She offered a half smile to him. "Bad dream?"

He didn't reply, his gaze sweeping over her. His thoughts were tightly shuttered and she longed to ask him what he was thinking. She didn't know where they stood after last night, if that moment had already passed. 

"How's your leg?" she asked instead. 

He tentatively put weight on it, seeming satisfied with what he found. "The spray did its job."

She nodded at him, not wanting to ruin the memory of last night. She'd craved so much more but would cherish what they shared. She glanced away, knowing her feelings were probably written all over her face. 

He touched her chin, tipping her towards him. "You've made me better. I didn't think I counted as a person before I met you. And now, I want to live to see who I can become." 

She cupped his cheek in her hand. "Heero." 

His lips touched hers, gentle and sweet. A feeling only he awakened blossomed to life at his kiss, languid warmth settling over her. "There are so many things I want to experience but first, we'll need to find a way out of here." 

She let the words wash over her, basking in their meaning. She'd been searching for purpose, trying to find her place in the world. His presence seemed to fill some of the empty spaces in her soul. She wished they could explore those ways, discover the stars he'd fill her skies with. But the very real threats to their lives couldn't be ignored. 

"Do you think it's safe to leave?" 

"It'll be safer than staying here. The residents won't take kindly to being used as shields. After that, it's only a matter of time before they find us."

"So where do we go?"


End file.
